This is a spinoff of the emergency savings thread.

I was wondering what everyone would consider an emergency that would warrant using your emergency savings.

For us, it is anything that is necessary, but not in our monthly budget and that can't be absorbed into our monthly budget somehow. The first thing we do is to try to cut back our monthly bills to pay for the unexpected. If that isn't possible, then we decide if it is a necessity. Things like car repairs, medical bills, unexpected vet bills, household repairs that can't wait (plumbing leaks, burst pipes, broken heater in the middle of winter, etc.), job loss, are all emergencies for us.

Things like our new deck (even though our old one was rotten), landscaping, etc. are saved for in another manner. We wouldn't use funds allotted to emergencies for things like this.

How do things like this work at your house?

In reality, several things COULD wait. For instance, if my car needed to be serviced we do have other vehicles I could use until I had the money for a repair. If my furnace went out, we have two other methods for heating the house. Of course, if my well broke or the septic system backed up, that would need immediate attention.

Recently, my dog had trouble walking. We could not figure out what was wrong even after examining him and seeing if it would get better the next day. It didn't. We ended up with a $320 vet bill. Was it an emergency? Not really but I'm glad we spent the money. (The doctor prescribed anti-inflammatories and he is doing better.)

At the same time I have managed to chew through the surface of one of my gold crowns. Ugh! The quote for our out-of-pocket expenses is about $400. That is AFTER insurance pays. Ouch! I have to get something down with this crown because of bacteria gets under it then it will be even more expensive to fix. Is it an emergency? Not really but I really should do this.

In the end, we have very few emergencies short of a major medical incident or natural disaster. Almost everything else could wait.

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"I've been rich and I've been poor but independently wealthy is where it is at."

Anything that can't be absorbed into our monthly income that has to be done now is an emergency.

A few I can think of offhand that we have had in our 21 years of marriage (not a complete list by any means):

1) Fridge dying unexpectedly
2) Engine burning up (literally a fire that burned everything not metal under hood of car) - forced unplanned purchase of a car
3) Washer dying
4) Hot water heater bursting/dying and flooding part of the ceiling (they are in the attic in South African houses!!!! Ugh!)
5) Both cars requiring new tires in the same month!!!!!! (One set absorbed in normal income)
6) Major medical bills (Example: Unexpected $1500 co-pay for allergy shot serum!!!!!)
7) Mazda RX-7 engine dying with a six month wait for a reconditioned one - forced unplanned for purchase of a car

Those would be personal examples of emergencies. I think that everyone living an adult life for any length of time would have such a list.

I'd agree with this. Only medical or home or car repairs that can't wait would be considered emergencies. Or maybe if a family member was in need. But any home things that are cosmetic, etc are not emergencies.

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An event that interrupts my minimum quality of life ie: water, heat, electricity, transportation. I am willing/able to sacrifice and suffer if it means I will be able to pay for it without dipping into my savings but how long depends on the circumstance.

I see many of these same things as emergenies, also in this category would be loss of employment.
Does your family have one EF for all emergencies or another separate EF that is your 3-6 months savings for things like lay offs?

We have a savings account that is designated only to be touched if DH loses his job. The money would pay all the monthly bills for 6 months. We have a slush fund that is for emergencies (medical, car repair etc).

One recent thing I've used our efund for (or part of it) was when we had to make an unexpectant trip for medical consults. Our unborn baby has severe birth defects, and we needed to make a decision on where to give birth and seek treatment. We had to meet with surgeons and have a confirmed ultrasound, so we had to purchase a last-minute flight and book a hotel. Some people wouldn't use their efund for this, but our only other choice was to go into CC debt. (And it's not like we could wait to save up for something like this.)

A bill that is due and has to be paid for.
In General it is the need cash NOW situations.
Car breaks down and you need to get it home, furnace goes out in the middle or winter, Water pipes burst, crawl space floods, house fire, Our of town trip do to a relitive who is injured or dying. Loss of job.

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Kimberly Proud Mommy to Bethany Rose April 2006

We had to use ours - and basically killed our emergency fund, when we had to buy new cellphones, wallets, driver's licences and identification books along with all the other account cards when we were hijacked a while ago.